Frozen in Hogwarts
by awayinarendelle
Summary: Oneshots of life in Hogwarts with The Arendelles, The Trio, and others. Enjoy.
1. Em Tegrof I

" _ **Obliviate**_ is a spell that can be used to erase memories from an individual's mind."

* * *

It was one of those nights where Harry, Ron, and Hermione spent hours and hours discussing their options as to how they can defeat You-Know-Who. They've decided to have their meeting in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom just above the Great Hall—much to Myrtle's delight—and of course, most of the logical and profound ideas came from Hermione. After spending half of the time bickering with Ron, Granger decided to call it a night. It was time for bed. Filch was on a roll and the last thing Hermione wanted was to get caught—or worse, expelled. She carefully made her way back to the Gryffindor's girls' dormitories when she saw her standing there.

Elsa Arendelle.

Stoic. Blonde. Beautiful. Pale. Cold blue eyes void of emotion.

The only witch and person in all of Hogwarts that made Hermione question her competency.

The only academics "rival" worthy of Hermione. A Slytherin.

Elsa Arendelle, more infamously known as "The Ice Queen" was in the Gryffindor territory where she did not belong. Hermione narrowed her eyes and carefully rummaged through her robe pocket for her wand, ready for combat. Her eyes burned against Elsa's back, and she craned her neck to see what the intruder was doing and whose bed she was standing in front of.

It was Anna Arendelle's bed. Hermione didn't know much about Elsa, but she knew Anna. Harry had introduced them a while back and she had grown very fond of the girl ever since. She knew Anna Arendelle as this spunky and optimistic younger sister of Elsa—something that she had a hard time believing. How could this kind and friendly girl be the sister of someone so detached and heartless like the Ice Queen? One of the reasons why Elsa irked her was because of how she treated Anna: Ignoring her. Pretending not to see her when she passes by her in the hallways. Never acknowledging her presence. Hermione thought Elsa was ruthless and hated her sister for whatever reason. And for that, she had decided she didn't want to be around Elsa. She made sure to involve Anna in her group of friends sensing how lonely the younger girl was considering how her sister—someone who should've been taking care of her—treated her like she didn't exist.

The blonde was muttering something under her breath, and Hermione strained her ears in attempt to hear what was being said. She tightened her grip on her wand while Elsa covered her eyes with the back of her arm, still unaware of Hermione's presence.

Hermione noted the drop of temperature in the room, but she stood rigid from where she was standing. She had never seen Elsa like this before. The usually poised and well-postured girl had her shoulders drooping and her arms wrapped around her waist. Elsa was unusually paler than usual, and those intimidating blue eyes were glossy and stained with a hint of red—an indication that she may have been crying for a quite some time. There were bags under her eyes and her face traced the outline of her cheekbones. She looked like someone who has not eaten in days.

"Obli….obli…obli—" Elsa tried once more in a broken whimper. Her voice wobbled and her lips trembled. Hermione was caught off guard for Elsa Arendelle had started sobbing.

 _Obliviate?_

 _Why was Elsa trying to cast the Memory Charm spell on Anna?_ Before Hermione could react, Elsa lowered her wand and a look of yearning etched itself on her features. Elsa stared at her sister and noted how she has grown a little bit taller. How the freckles on her face increased in number. Her hair had grown longer, too. And she still snored while she slept. Carefully, oh so carefully, she dared to touch Anna's forehead with the tips of her fingers. A small smile graced her face and she trailed her hand across Anna's cheek, memorizing the warmth of her skin and the way she scrunched up her nose at the contact.

A soft sigh escaped Elsa's lips and tears started to brim under her lashes once more, threatening to fall on her cheeks. Out of earshot, Hermione heard words she had not expected from Elsa. She was so transfixed by what was happening in front of her that she did not realize she had lowered her wand.

"Anna," Elsa croaked. "I'm so sorry. But you _must_ forget me—I'll just end up hurting you again. I'm only doing this to protect you. I love you so much," she confessed, her voice uneven and betraying her. "I love you so much. Always."

Obliviate. Elsa wanted Anna to forget her. She wanted to erase Anna's memories of her. But why? Why now? What for?

Elsa summoned whatever courage she had left and raised her wand again before wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. She took an intake of breath and straightened her stance. After witnessing what just happened, Hermione decided to cast a spell of her own.

"Accio wand!" she commanded in a sharp whisper, prompting Elsa's wand to follow her voice. Elsa snapped her head, breathless, and was met by Hermione holding her own wand and hers.

Calm brown eyes were met by frantic blues.

Hermione looked at Elsa and then at Anna and then at Elsa again. Anna was dead to the world and oblivious to what was happening. Before Elsa could open her mouth, Hermione cut her off in a low and serious tone.

"Arendelle, we need to talk."


	2. Em Tegrof II

Elsa's wand felt heavy in Hermione's hand. Though it was not the time to study its structure, Hermione's eyes flickered between her captured object and the girl who stood rigid in front of her. The blonde owned a sleek 11", made of Hawthorne with a dragon heartstring core. She was not sure of its specific details and could care less about Wandlore at this point especially since it was Elsa's wand but—all she knew was that it almost resembled _Malfoy's_.

Hermione tightened her grip around it, her jaw clenching. She felt a flare of anger rise up from within her and she locked her gaze on Elsa.

"Granger, give me my wand back," Elsa hissed in a low volume. She was still beside Anna's bed, and the last thing she wanted was to wake her sister up. She took two deliberate steps towards Hermione, but stopped dead on her tracks when the other girl pointed her wand at her. "You take another step and I swear what comes next won't be pleasant for you. Do not test me, Arendelle."

The brunette took no chances and kept her wand extended just in case Elsa tried to do something. But surprisingly so, the culprit simply glared at her and crossed her arms against her chest. Elsa's attempt to look undeterred was a failure for her hands could not stop trembling. She was about to open her mouth to make a cutting retort when something groaned and shifted beside her, causing her to gasp.

Anna started to rub her fists against her eyes. Elsa stepped back, her eyes widening like saucers as a look of desperation now marred her features, frantically searching the room for another exit. But there was only one. And Granger stood right in front of it.

"You really have no choice here. It's either I wake her up so the three of us can have a nice little chat or you and I will quietly leave this room so you can tell me what the bloody hell you're doing here," Hermione whispered harshly, confused by the wisp of fog departing from her lips as she breathed through her mouth. The temperature in the room kept dropping by the minute.

"Hermione, you don't understand. You have to let me go," Elsa pleaded, her arms tightening around herself while she paced back and forth anticipating the worst. "Anna can't know that I'm here," she muttered, shaking.

"After you," Hermione said curtly, stepping away from the door and motioning for Elsa to make her exit. She cautiously watched Elsa's every move and was slightly relieved when the taller girl did not retaliate or attempt to take her wand back.

Once they were in the hall, Hermione gently closed the door behind her without taking her eyes off the blonde. She was quietly pleased to see the Slytherin girl squirming and clasping her hands together. Elsa was untouchable and cold as a rock. To see Arendelle out of her element and defenseless made the whole encounter a bit more interesting for Hermione.

"Y-you were not supposed to be in here," Elsa stammered uselessly like a child who had just been caught stealing cookies from a forbiben pantry. Not once has she let go of her grasp on her hands. It seemed like she was hiding something that Hermione could not see. As far as she was concerned, all Elsa had on her was her wand—which she now possessed.

Hermione raised a fascinated brow. "I'm sure you're aware that I'm Gryffindor's current Head Girl and it's my job to make rounds and check on students to make sure they're sleeping when they're supposed to," she replied flatly. "And I reckon catching intruders is part of the job, too."

Elsa winced before pinching the bridge of her nose. "Granger, you don't understand— "

"So make me understand!" Hermione demanded, the tone of her voice laced with obvious aggravation. "What are you doing here? Why are you trying to cast a spell on Anna? Why are you trying to harm her? Haven't you done enough?" She did not know why she was so infuriated, but the thought of Elsa hurting Anna—and having seen it time and again—enraged her.

 _Haven't you done enough?_

Hermione's last words hung in the air, scathing Elsa and knocking the wind out of her lungs. Her heart started to pick up its pace, roaring aggressively with each beat, reminding her of her pathetic existence. The stubborn muscle continued to thrash, fracturing and shrinking with each passing breath.

She stared at Hermione blankly, at a loss for words while fighting the stinging sensation building up behind blue eyes. 

"You're right," she admitted bitterly with a slight hitch to her voice. "All I did and will ever do is hurt Anna. That's why I was there—I was trying to stop it."

Hermione continued to glare at her. "By trying to erase her memories? Are you mental? How is that helping her?" She flailed her arms in frustration, careful not to cast an accidental spell with the two wands she was holding.

Elsa had no answer. She coiled her fingers around her robe, pulling it around her, as if the heavy clothing can somehow shield her from Hermione's scrutiny. She peeled her eyes away from the shorter girl and lowered her head to avoid her probing glare. Her skin crawled as she felt her insides churn unpleasantly. She was trapped and there was no way out.

Hermione broke through her stupor by spewing out another question. "How did you learn that spell, Elsa?"

Elsa's mangled heart skipped a beat.

She snapped her head back up, broken from her trance, and her eyes darkened at the memory of that fateful night of the first time she had encountered the Memory Charm.

"I saw my parents use it on Anna when we were younger," she replied quietly. "It served its purpose for she has no memories of what happened—but it's not enough to keep her safe," Elsa trailed off, wrenching her gaze away from Hermione once again. She reluctantly shared this information with the other girl without giving it much thought because what was the point? After this stunt, she was so sure she was going to get expelled anyway.

Hermione furrowed her eyebrows. "Safe?" she spat out. "How are you trying to keep her safe when all you do is ignore her? Do you know how many times I've seen her cry in her sleep while calling out your name?"

A swarm of knives catapulted themselves at the very center of Elsa's heart. She staggered backwards and raised her palms in front of her face as if they were the most disgusting things she has ever seen. "All I'm ever good at is hurting her," she chuckled ruefully, much to Hermione's confusion. "All I ever do is make her cry."

Before Hermione can bombard Elsa with more questions, the air around them started to crackle and wind began to blow. The temperature seemed to have plummeted even more and the walls began to reflect their surroundings as crystallized frost covered them all of a sudden, inching further away with each hurried breath of the distressed blonde.

Hermione gasped in surprise and her eyebrows shot up to her hairline. There were flurries everywhere, swirling around Elsa and all over the room. She clinically searched her brain for the right spell to somehow manipulate the weather when she slowly realized it was Elsa who had produced them. Elsa was now kneeling on the ground, a clear sheet of ice spreading directly below her palms that were braced on the ground. Elsa's chest heaved with painful breaths, her eyes clamped shut as she repeatedly recited a peculiar mantra Hermione was not familiar with.

"Conceal, don't feel. Conceal, don't feel. Conceal, don't feel," Elsa chanted in between breaths. Hermione took a few careful steps to where the other girl was and noted how frail she looked. This was not the same girl she knew. Swatting away the flurries that were blocking her view, she dared to kneel in front of Elsa without thinking of the repercussions.

"Elsa," Hermione whispered, searching her face. When Elsa did not answer, she gently laid her hand on her shoulder, causing the blonde to fidget and arch her neck back up at Hermione. "Don't touch me," she whimpered as tears started to flow down her cheeks, burning a path along her cold skin.

"Can't you see what I'm capable of? Can't you see that I'm a monster?"

Guilt and understanding started to bloom within Hermione's chest as she started to see Elsa in a different light. The Ice Queen was not as calloused as she was rumored to be. The Ice Queen was not invincible and void of emotion. The Ice Queen was just a girl—a scared and lonely girl with a big secret—a secret so big that it weighed her down to the point of making her collapse on the floor, defenseless and broken. Who really knew Elsa, Hermione wondered. This was the girl whom she disliked fiercely. This was the same exact girl who had hurt her friend numerous times.

In the midst of all the snow and flurries spiraling around them, the gears in Hermione's head turned.

 _Elsa was trying to cast the Memory Charm spell on Anna to protect Anna from her magic._

It was all a tragic ruse, a burdensome façade. Elsa was trying to push Anna away for her own safety. All this time and for all of time, all Elsa was trying to do was to keep Anna away from harm. Away from her.

Hermione shook her head slowly, incredulously. She sighed and turned her focus back on Elsa.

"All of this…ignoring Anna and trying to make her forget you—this is your way of protecting her from your magic?"

"Magic?" Elsa scoffed. "This isn't magic. This—what I have is a curse. Incurable, ugly, repulsive—"

"Your magic is extraordinary, Elsa," Hermione cut her off gently, her features switching from anger to compassion. "Let me try and help you harness it in a safer way. You can be with Anna again."

A hollow laugh bubbled from Elsa's throat. "I've been trying for years. There's no cure and it just keeps getting stronger. I've read every book and tried every spell out there, but none can give me the answers I'm looking for."

Hermione chewed on her lip in contemplation. "Beowulf!" she exclaimed excitedly.

Elsa blinked in confusion, her eyes still bleary from crying. "Beowulf? Luna's boyfriend?"

Hermione shook her head. "They're not dating, they're just very close. And yes, Alarik Beowulf. He's in George and Fred's year and he did many studies about wizards and witches with intrinsic magical powers."

"Why are you trying to help me? Not so long ago, you wanted to cut my head off," Elsa asked dubiously, the walls closing in on her again. "Besides, what makes you think I'm willing to share this information with anyone? It was already a mistake having you seen me like this."

Hermione paused before nodding. "You're right. I still want to cut your head off. And who says I want to help you—"

"Granger, you just did. A few seconds ago."

"Fine," Hermione said irately, dusting away the flurries from her hair. "I don't want you expelled. Who else will compete with me for house points? You may be annoying, but you're also very smart."

She did not intend for the last few words of confession to come out, but it did, and she hoped the other girl would simply ignore it. And Elsa did exactly just that.

"I still don't trust you, Granger," Elsa pointed out as a matter-of-factly.

"Who says I trust you?" Hermione countered, raising a challenging brow. "I'm only doing this for Anna's sake."

The throbbing splinter in Elsa's heart had started to sting again. "You won't tell anyone?" she asked surreptitiously, her hands folding against each other.

"I won't," Hermione declared without hesitation. "I won't tell anyone. Not Harry, not Ron, not Alarik. Not without your permission."

Elsa inhaled and exhaled through her nose. In a surprisingly timid voice Hermione had never heard her use before, Elsa asked her a question that pinched her heart.

"Are you scared of me?"

A pause. "No, Elsa. I'm not scared of you. You're not a monster and I will do my best to try and help you."

For the first time since their encounter, Elsa smiled by the barest bit. A faint lop-sided grin pulled the corner of her lip upwards and she slowly relaxed her shoulders. The flurries around them slowly dissipated and the temperature rose back to its normal scale as Elsa's breathing steadied.

" _Cistem Aperio!"_

Elsa's clear voice cut through the night as she commanded her trunk to open with the tip of her wand. She quickly stuffed her belongings inside the wooden luggage, careful not to make any unnecessary noise. To her right was a little pouch the size of a tennis ball. She grabbed the object with shaking hands and hovered it over the trunk. Instantaneously, the pouch opened like a vortex, swallowing Elsa's books and all her other things in with one single scoop.

But she held onto one item.

Anna's picture.

The redhead was giggling and waving at Elsa. Fighting back the tears, Elsa hastily kissed the picture before surrendering it to her pouch.

Once she was finished packing, she made her way to The Wooden Bridge and flew into the night with her broomstick.


	3. Portraits I

**A/N:** Because I need more **Anna and Harry** interaction.

* * *

He was so tired.

All the commotion going on around him and within him was never ending like crashing waves that wanted nothing more but to drown him alive. The O.W.L.s were coming up, Voldemort was still missing, and the notorious Ice Queen once again managed to piss Hermione off, setting her in a very unpleasant mood. With Hermione subdued and ticking like a time bomb, he was forced, for once in a very long time, to pursue his studies without her assistance.

His brain hurt. Studying with Ron was just as fruitless. Rounding up a corner, Harry dragged himself to reach Gryffindor's common room, the weight of exhaustion ready to pin him down to the floor at any moment. The desire to sleep was proving to be strong when he felt a sharp pain shoot through his skull as his vision blurred by the minute.

Three hours of sleep did that, he thought bitterly. Passing by a group of students whispering amongst themselves while shooting him judgmental glances, Harry ignored them and quickened his pace. He finally made it in the hallway leading up to The Grand Staircase. He didn't have to think twice to figure out what was being spoken about him. And quite frankly, he didn't care.

 _Arrogant. Attention-seeker. Trouble-maker. Cursed boy._ What else was new?

He was so close to reaching the common room when he saw her standing there. What…was she doing? Right in the middle of the empty hall surrounded by portraits was Anna Arendelle having a conversation with…pictures. She didn't notice him coming because her gaze was transfixed on a painting that hung a little bit lower than the rest. Harry took a few steps towards her and squinted his eyes to get a better look of what she was staring at and felt something inside him crack.

Inside the rectangular frame were two little girls laughing and hugging each other. They looked so happy and so _free_. Anna waved at them, and they waved back before turning their backs to walk to the opposite direction where a road that led to a small castle came to view.

Harry was about to open his mouth to greet her, but she did something that he had never seen her do before. The ever optimistic, happy-go-lucky, and vibrant Anna Arendelle wrapped her arms around her waist and hung her head low. With her side facing him, and even with his vision slightly impaired, Harry was able to detect the droplets of tears that slid down her cheeks and onto the pavement. He watched as teal green eyes welled up and watered the cold ground where they stood.

And in that moment, Harry finally understood why Hermione, Ron—and the rest of his friends hated Elsa Arendelle.

What reason—and _who_ else was capable of hurting Anna like this?

"Anna, are you okay?" he asked as if the answer wasn't already obvious. Anna turned her head and smiled at him. It didn't reach her eyes. That was the painful part. Even in the middle of her heartbreak and weakest moment, Anna still managed to smile.

"Yeah…I'm just looking at this painting. It's beautiful," she said awkwardly. Harry didn't find that particular painting _beautiful_ at all because he knew what it meant for Anna. It was a reminder of what she used to have and no longer have. There was nothing beautiful about that.

He noticed the slight hitch in her voice and the coarseness that it had brought with it. She looked like someone who had been crying for hours. "How are you, Harry?" she asked, ignoring the sad expression on his face that he failed to conceal. She ran the back of her hand over her eyes to brush away her tears as if it was the most casual thing to do.

He wondered how long she had been doing that and when she started to do that—tucking away her feelings like they were irrelevant. Like they were bothersome and not worthy of attention…of acknowledgment. Sadly, he already knew his answer to that.

But he wasn't going to just let this pass. "You miss your sister," he said, not even bothering to waste one second of beating around the bush. It wasn't even a question. It was a cruel acknowledgement of the reality that Anna was thrown into to suffer with everyday.

Oh, he knew the reason behind Anna's brokenness. He knew because Ron and Hermione would tell him all the time. They didn't have to, though. All it took was one look at her and the way her sad and longing eyes would travel to the Slytherin table during breakfast, searching for the unwilling leader of the pack: Elsa Arendelle. The same Elsa Arendelle who wouldn't even give Anna a single second of her time.

Sometimes, Anna would miss an entire meal just staring at her sister. Sometimes, Harry and his friends would succeed in distracting her and having her join in their conversation and banter. It was easy because Anna was a pleasure to be around with and she was just happy being talked to. She loved to listen to other people's stories and latest adventures. Harry was glad that she somehow found a home with her other Gryffindor classmates.

But he never did miss those quick glances she would shoot at Elsa's table. He knew for a fact that Anna would give anything and everything just to have a seat in that table with her.

Anna nodded and shrugged. "Am I that obvious?" she asked in a faint whisper before chuckling self-deprecatingly. It sounded so hollow and lifeless and empty. Harry had to hold back a wince. She played with the tip of braid, biting down her lip in embarrassment, her head lowering again as if to hide the blush that now colored her cheeks.

Harry opened his mouth without thinking. He was prone to doing that. "I don't know Elsa well enough to understand why she's treating you like this, but she doesn't deserve a sister like you." Tact. He really needed to work on that. Maybe Hermione had a spell for it that she could hex his lips with. Boy, she would enjoy providing him that specific remedy.

"I think you're a wonderful person and you have a family here—with us—now." Anna stared at him with an unreadable expression on her face. He wasn't sure if she was offended or shocked or simply convinced that he was a mental case.

Harry gulped and resisted the urge to turn around and walk away. Digging a hole and burying himself in it sounded like a better plan, but all thoughts of shovels and digging came to a stop when long, slender arms wrapped themselves around his neck.

Anna's hair smelled like strawberry and chocolate. He wasn't exactly sure what scent it was, but she smelled _nice._ He awkwardly patted her shoulders with his hands. Hugs. She was hugging him. He had just started to give and receive hugs recently since he had been deprived of them before coming to Hogwarts. It was a foreign thing. He knew so little about physical contact and he was still learning.

And he wanted to learn fast when he felt Anna's body tremble against him. He felt something warm and wet filter through the his cloak, just below his shoulder. The tears came back with a vengeance. Anna whimpered like a wounded animal and he didn't know how to fix her.

He clenched his jaw as a flash of anger bolted through him like a quick jab of a knife.

 _Bloody hell, Elsa._

They stood like that for a long moment with an audience of paintings watching them in timeless wonder. Harry craned his neck and looked around him, imagining what it was like to be frozen in eternity. He suddenly missed his parents.

In those paintings were ghosts. Eternal, bodiless, and free. Ghosts that were people who had once lived and knew happiness along with suffering. People who had stories to tell. People who lived a full life. People whose lives were cut short by fate and tragedy.

But those people no longer possessed bodies.

Since they didn't have bodies, did they still feel pain in the absence of a heart? Did they still know or remember how it was like to be heartbroken beyond repair?

Because Anna did. She wasn't dead, but she was haunted by the ghosts of her parents' memories and the looming presence of her sister who treated her like fleeting wind.

"I miss her so much. More than you'll ever know," Anna mumbled in between shaky breaths. "I _still_ love her even when she stopped loving me." She sounded so weak yet so determined. So fragile yet so strong. Was she trying to be strong for herself or for Elsa? He wasn't sure.

Harry didn't understand this kind of love just yet. He had a lot to learn and he understood that. Elsa treated Anna like she didn't exist. Like she had already died along with their parents.

And this pained Harry in more ways than one.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a bunch of students whispering and pointing at him and Anna. He would deal with the rumors that he was sure would ensue and spread like wildfire the next day from the dense people who had nothing better to do but criticize his every action. He was willing to go through all of that because having Anna here and not by herself talking to paintings, was much, much better and worth all the controversy that awaited him.

In that moment of vulnerability, Harry was able to catch a fragment of the weight and the grief Anna was carrying. She was so young—like him—and filled with so much sadness beyond her years. Inside the shell of a young woman radiating vigor and joy that she gave to everyone around her was a lonely child that was slowly decaying and struggling to rise above the ashes of her sorrow.

Now it made sense…the lack of luster in Anna's eyes even when was smiling broadly. She was dead inside. Harry knew how that felt.

He quietly wished for Anna to someday, one day, have her own walls of happy pictures and memories with people who loved her. When will Elsa ever come around, he didn't know. But he was willing to find out if it meant bringing back the joy in Anna's life and maybe even the light in her eyes. She had such beautiful eyes.

He held Anna tighter, resting his chin on top of her head. The Boy Who Lived and The Girl Who Died held each other just a little while longer.


	4. Portraits II

**A/N:** Harry and Elsa interaction? All the yes.

* * *

It was impossible to miss her.

Being tall, slender, and blonde, Elsa stood out like a sore thumb. Harry couldn't help but be wary of her because he did see a lot of Malfoy in her. The silver and black and green colors that she was draped with, her hair that was just as pale as Malfoy's, and that steely and cold gaze that could only belong to a Slytherin were enough to make him stay away.

To the majority, Elsa Arendelle was conspicuous because of her reputation of being the Ice Queen and the current top student in their year and in her house. Harry wouldn't say that she was smarter than Hermione—of course he was biased—but her exam grades and performance in various classes were proof that she _could_ be a match for Hermione. The professors admired her intelligence and even Snape looked _pleased_ whenever he talked to her.

And Hermione detested her for it, giving her more incentive to dislike the blonde apart from how she treated Anna.

It wasn't hard to see that Elsa was also…well… _gorgeous._ Even though Ron wouldn't admit it, Harry could see a sliver of admiration in his eyes while he glared at Elsa in between lessons. Ron hated her, but Harry could tell that his friend wasn't entirely having a hard time looking at her because she was attractive.

But those weren't really the reasons why Elsa piqued his interest in the way that wasn't synonymous to what others thought. It was the way she carried herself. It was her attempts to stay away from the crowd like she _desperately_ needed to be alone.

It was rare to see Elsa with a group. Harry would see her in the middle of the Slytherin table during breakfast with such blankness in her eyes while others spoke and chatted with her and amongst themselves. She sat regally, quietly, and nodded here and there. When the attention was no longer on her, Harry watched as she dipped her head low to stare at her hands. She did that often.

She didn't want to be there. Not because she thought she was better than the rest, but because she just…didn't really seem to fit in. Harry knew that feeling. That feeling of being in the middle of a crowd and still being alone and misunderstood.

He wasn't really sure what he thought about Elsa anymore. To most, she was distant and detached and arrogant. But in those moments where he would cast his glance across the other side of the Great Hall, he saw none of the arrogance she was accused of.

Elsa looked _sad._ Classy, proper, and perfect…but sad.

Harry wondered if she was really cold and heartless as described by many.

And here he was against logic, standing in front of the Library where he knew Elsa would be after Herbology classes. After that night with Anna in the middle of the Grand Stairway, Harry decided that he would try and talk to Elsa. Whatever issue Elsa and Anna had with each other wasn't his business, of course. But that didn't stop him from wanting to find out why Elsa treated her sister unfairly. Nothing ever stopped Harry Potter from stepping out of boundaries especially when his friends were concerned.

And maybe, just maybe, he wanted to get to know her apart from what was said about her. It just didn't make sense, you see. Anna's description of how her sister used to be baffled Harry. What happened to Elsa? Why won't she look her sister in the eye? Why did she change all of a sudden?

 _What…happened?_

With a handful of heavy, leather-bounded books in her arms, Elsa Arendelle quietly yet hastily made her way to the hallway leading to the Library.

Finally. A moment of solitude after that asinine meeting Malfoy _made_ everyone attend. She didn't want to go, but she also didn't want to be marked as a pariah for being inconsiderate and disinterested in "House affairs".

Her mind wandered while Draco babbled about how 'Hogwarts should only be a place for Purebloods' and something about 'that giant Hagrid—whatever the hell _it_ is—should stay away from students'. She watched with silent disgust as Draco ran his mouth, grateful that her opinions were not sought after. She was afraid she would finally crack and do something to him that she _might_ regret.

Elsa _hated_ Malfoy, but politics and propriety forced her to push those feelings aside. She was, afterall, a Slytherin. A Slytherin with wandless magic that she needed to control. She wasn't going to allow Draco to compromise her. She was better than that.

So she went to the bloody meeting. She smiled, nodded, and put up a reputable appearance. She was used to that, after all. Years and years of being paraded around in balls and parties by her parents gave her the proper training to keep up with social demands.

But now, it was time to be alone.

 _Wrong._

"Elsa, can we talk?"

 _Wait, what?_ Elsa hadn't realized that he was standing there. Her eyes were buried deep into the cover of her book that she forgot the possibility that other humans were walking by. She was lucky for the interruption. They were about five feet apart and she was so close to crashing into him. The thoughts of books flying, falling on the floor and human contact were enough to make her stiffen. She skidded to a halt and gripped the edges of her books tightly with her gloved hands.

"What…what do you want Potter?"

Harry wasn't sure how to answer that. He stared at her for a moment with an unreadable expression on his face. What… _did_ he want?

"I have something to give you." He didn't know where that squeak came from, but he felt his ears warming up. Great. He wasn't sure if it was because of how Elsa stared at him with full suspicion or the fact that this was the first time he'd seen her up close and personal.

 _Beautiful_ didn't even come to close to describing Elsa Arendelle. It was somewhere between ethereal and enchanting. Harry gulped. And in that moment, he was reduced to this awkward schoolboy standing in front of a gorgeous schoolgirl, tongue-tied with his mind struggling to form words.

He had been staring at her far too long because Elsa turned around to walk away. She knew better. Anything that had to do with Harry Potter meant trouble and she wanted none of that. But…

"Elsa, wait!"

 _But he's friends with Anna._

Elsa screwed her eyes shut and willed the ice bubbling in her chest to subside. She took a sharp intake of breath to calm the nerves that were ready to spike. Conceal. Don't feel. Don't let it show. Smoothening her features to remove any hint of distress and emotion, she straightened her back and faced Harry once again.

"What do you want?" she asked in a brusque tone. She didn't have time for this. She _couldn't_ have time for this. The gloves that were wrapped around her hands started to feel awfully tight and uncomfortable.

Harry tried for a smile. He cleared his throat. "Listen, I know what's happening between you and Anna is none of my business but— "

"It's not." Elsa cut him off. Was that… _fear_ in her eyes? Harry noticed the drastic change in her demeanor the moment he said _Anna_. Something was very off here. Something cracked. He was starting to believe that Elsa didn't hate her sister. There was something else…

"I'm not interested or obliged to talk to you about my private affairs, Potter. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to study now." She tried to shoulder past him but he did a quick sidestep, his form blocking her path. She glared at him.

"Fine. If you don't want to talk to me, that's fine. But I want you to have something."

Elsa took a step back and she hugged her books closer to her chest. "I'm not interested in whatever you're up to… _please_ leave me out of it." She looked so cautious and so guarded that it actually made Harry's heart hurt. Was this really the Ice Queen?

She looked at him like she was silently pleading with him to just let her go. But he wasn't finished and she knew he would stop her again if she tried to leave.

Harry's lips pressed into a thin line as he rummaged through his robe pocket for that _something_ he needed to give Elsa. He was grateful for his robes. For some weird reason it suddenly felt cold.

Elsa watched him like a hawk and she jumped a little when Harry extended his hand to her. "What's that?" she asked him dubiously, refusing to break eye contact. She didn't trust him and he didn't expect her to. Ice started to crawl up her spine once again.

"Anna spent the holidays with me and the Weasleys."

Okay. That…stung. Was Harry here to shove that in her face? What was his point? She knew Anna spent the holidays with the Weasleys. She _knew_ because she saw her sister walk around campus with an unattractive sweater that had the letter **A** emblazoned on it . She _knew_ that was Molly Weasley's handiwork because the rest of her children and Harry had those sweaters, too, with their initials on it.

She knew and it hurt.

"You came all the way here to tell me _that_?" She felt a sense of accomplishment when her voice came out without a quaver. It was calm, detached, uncaring…everything that she was _not_ feeling inside.

The temperature continued to drop and she had to hold back a gasp when she saw Harry breathe out vapor. The boy didn't seem to care. They were in Hogwarts after all: a place filled with mystery and unpredictable magic. A little change in weather wasn't anything suspicious considering the oddities that occurred within the castle every other hour or so.

But Elsa was panicking underneath the stoic exterior. Did something happen to Anna? She just saw her—and ignored her—a few hours ago. Surely, everything was okay. Right? Elsa had already hexed the knight in armour displays near the Gryffindor hallways just in case Anna decided to jump on their lifeless arms again. This time, they would catch her and not fall into pieces along _with_ her. She was safe. From falling. From her. Why did Harry come?

"Take it. It's just a picture." Elsa wrenched her suspicious stare away from Harry and she dared to lower it down to the object in his hand. It was a small, square-ish picture with Anna laughing and waving, her teal eyes dancing with glee. She was wearing the sweater Molly gave her and she looked so excited. Elsa was quick to catch her jaw from dropping. Just like a healing balm, the sight of Anna laughing dissipated the ice trapped inside Elsa's chest.

Harry felt his heart soar when he saw Elsa's lip twitch. He let out a breath and vapor was no longer present. Was she about to smile? It went away just as fast as it came, but something loosened inside his chest. "I don't really know why I'm here…but I _really_ want you to have this."

Green eyes met wary blue ones. Elsa still didn't trust Harry and now was not the time for weakness. As much as she wanted to grab the picture from his hand and hug it forever, she wasn't going to lower her walls just like that. She needed to keep her sister safe. She needed to reject and destroy all feelings of attachment to her. She was succeeding, but it still didn't feel enough.

"I don't want it." Harry held back a frown. The Ice Queen was back. But he wasn't going to just give up on her—and on Anna. Not now. If Elsa thought that she won just by her calloused refusal, she was obviously calculating this whole thing incorrectly. Surely, she didn't know him. Two can play this game.

Harry raised a brow and mirrored her look of apathy. He could tell that she was bluffing, but he didn't pry. He knew better now. He didn't force her to tell him what was running through her mind. He knew that look. She had her secrets like he did.

"Sorry, wrong answer."

Elsa underestimated Harry's stubbornness. Harry closed the gap between them and dropped the picture on top of the books that she was carrying. Instinct caused her to draw back immediately in fear of being touched, but before her mind could register what just took place, Harry had already turned his back to walk away from her without saying another word.

She froze and looked down and back up to Harry's departing figure. "Potter get back here!" she hissed, taking long strides to follow after him. "Come back here this instant and take this back!" Damn that Potter. Who did he think he was? Elsa felt her cheeks burn. She couldn't have this picture. She wasn't _allowed_ to have this picture. She wasn't allowed to have Anna.

Boy, was he clever. Harry smirked and he sprinted across the hall to join a group of Gryffindors that waved him over. He knew Elsa wasn't going to follow. He knew Elsa Arendelle wouldn't _run_ after him. She didn't run. Not for anyone, especially not for him. She walked the halls with dignity and with poise. Surely, she wasn't about to disgrace herself to draw unnecessary attention.

Hermione and Ginny and Ron—people who hated her—spotted her presence a few feet away and she knew that was the end of it. She was so tempted to raise her wand to wipe that stupid grin off Harry's face. She vowed that she will. Someday.

Harry turned around and wasn't surprised to see Elsa standing nearby. He met her eyes and he smiled. It wasn't mocking, it wasn't condescending. He just smiled at her like he would with a _friend._

That was unexpected. Elsa couldn't hate him even if she tried. Why did he look at her like he knew something she didn't?

Before she could gather her thoughts to make sense of the enigma that was Harry Potter, he glanced back at her and gave her a single nod before walking away with his friends to go back to their common room, leaving her alone with her books and Anna's picture.

Tears started to well up in icy blue eyes. But before they could make their way down her cheeks, she wiped them away with a gloved hand. She was going to return the picture tomorrow during Potions class. Potter would have no choice but to take it back. He _had_ to.

She was going to be better, colder, stronger. But that could wait until tomorrow. Elsa made her way back to the Library washroom and she locked the door behind her before resting her back against it. She allowed herself to slide down to the floor. Books were dropped and the gloves went off.

This time, she let the tears fall down. Shaky hands that were so cold from lack of physical contact and from the ice running through her veins held onto Anna's picture for dear life. She missed her sister so much. _So,_ so much.

Tomorrow can wait, she told herself again. But now, just for right now, she was with her sister. She can pretend. She's been pretending all this time anyway, acting against how she really felt. She was good at that. Even for just a few hours, she would allow herself to be with Anna even if it was just through a picture.

Damn that Potter boy.

Elsa traced Anna's face with a finger and waved back when Anna started waving. A soft chuckle escaped her lips when Anna started to laugh again. For once in a very long time, Elsa felt _alive…_ and there was this feeling, this weird but warm feeling that somewhat resembled something so very foreign to her. Something that was lost to her and forgotten.

 _Happiness._


	5. Tick Tock

**A/N:** Tadashi and Elsa? Tadashi and Elsa. I think this is non-shippy—well, I tried. I really like thinking of them interacting with one another in a different world. So why not bring Tadashi in Hogwarts? Hope you enjoy.

* * *

"You're going to end up breaking that."

She didn't need to be reminded of the obvious. The thing _was_ already broken and she had spent the last two hours trying to figure out how to fix it. Thick books filled with instructions were scattered all over the table yet she still found herself failing miserably. This wasn't her forte. She was never good with using her hands to tinker with small objects—with _anything_ —due to the nature of her…situation. Most of the things she had contact with were either frozen that eventually led to being irreparable.

And the wristwatch Anna gave to her as a present wasn't an exception.

Elsa didn't want to look up. Whoever it was must have been judging her and thinking of her as a fool. She didn't need reminding of that either. She tightened her grip around her puny screw driver and took in a breath. Inhale. Exhale. _Don't freeze what's left of your tools._

"Can I…can I help you?" She nearly winced a second later upon realizing the stupidity of her question. _She_ was the one who needed help, not the other way around. Still ducking her head as low as it can possibly go, she felt her cheeks burn. Did she always have to be so pathetic and socially inept?

"No, but I can help you fix that…if you want." Okay. That was new. Whoever it was didn't mock her. She allowed her fingers to loosen up just enough to let the blood circulate back to her tightly clenched fists. She was itching to put the gloves back on. Not expecting any company, she dared to pull them off for the sake of dexterity. It was hard to fix a broken watch with all its small parts with gloved hands.

Elsa was half expecting to be laughed at…but _his_ voice, whoever it belonged to, sounded _kind_. She wasn't used to that. Warily, she slowly lifted her eyes and was met by a boy in her year wearing Hufflepuff colors. He was in most of her classes and was often seen in the company of his fellow Hufflepuffs, Cedric Diggory and Kristoff Bjorgman–people whom Elsa also thought to be kind from a distance.

That didn't mean anything. She knew nothing about him except for the interesting debates he would present during Muggle Studies. Though Elsa wouldn't vocally express her opinions during lessons, she agreed with most of his views. He was an advocate of something she strongly believed in: muggles and magical students co-existing without discord.

Up close, the first thing Elsa noticed was the loose and crumpled yellow tie with diagonal black stripes hung around his neck. Was that…ink stain on the upper left side? In a flash, she thought of ways to adjust that. _A Four-in-hand or a Windsor knot would do to conceal that spot. Wide end over the small end to the left and then into the neck loop from underneath. Down to the left…_ Wait. No. She abruptly stopped herself from mentally rearranging the boy's attire. Who was she kidding? She couldn't fix anything or anyone and the small wristwatch in front of her was proof of that. Anything she touched ended up being destroyed.

Slowly, she let guarded blue eyes travel north to meet the intruder's stare. Underneath the mop of jet black hair that didn't know how to stay put was a serene face without any trace of judgment. With a tentative smile, the Hufflepuff boy wrenched Elsa away from her silence and introduced himself.

"My name is Tadashi," the boy said, although he knew for a fact that she was aware of his existence somehow. He sat in front of her in Potions class. "We have some classes together…and uhm…I've been watching you from across the room and I couldn't help but notice what you were working on." Abashed, he rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. His face was just as red as hers.

He didn't know what he was doing. Of course she knew him. Four classes every day on top of sharing the same dining hall for every meal they've ever had throughout their stay in Hogwarts surely made them acquaintances. What was with that pathetic introduction? Why…couldn't he just mind his own business? But she was there and he was there and she looked so frustrated trying to fix her watch. He didn't have the heart to pretend he didn't see what was happening.

If he was being honest with himself–which he was–he would admit that it really wasn't easy to ignore Elsa Arendelle. It would be futile to deny that she was utterly attractive and captivating. Girls like her were hard to miss even when she tried to be insconpicuous. Elsa would leave right after classes and was never to be seen again unless her presence was summoned for impromptu assembly meetings conducted by the Headmaster. He often saw her fly around the Pitch by herself after Quidditch practice although he'd never seen her with her team. Later on, he discovered that Arendelle wasn't part of the Slytherin Quidditch team. Or _any_ team at all. She flew alone when no one else was around.

Tadashi would catch glimpses of her from the sidelines waiting for everyone to leave so she could fly, but never bothered to come any closer because he could tell that she was reluctant to be around others. So he watched her when he was sure she wasn't aware. He enjoyed seeing her so fast and free. But for someone so good at flying and everything else that had to do with academia, Arendelle wasn't fond of interacting with other students. They were enrolled at Hogwarts at the same time, and inside those three years, Tadashi had never seen her with a group of friends. It seemed like she chose to be alone.

And judging from her appearance now, he bit his tongue at how painfully accurate his presumptions were. Elsa pulled her hands away from the table and dropped them onto her lap, she wanted to stand up and go but Tadashi's form was stood directly in front of the table where she was sat. He was ready to jump to stop her if she tried to leave.

 _What's going on with you today, Hamada?_

Elsa grabbed the edges of the table to somehow stop her hands from trembling. She needed to leave. He was too close. She swallowed the lump of hoarfrost down her throat and tried to form words. "Thank you, but I don't think you can help me."

Tadashi nearly frowned. She looked so uncomfortable and so awkward that it made him wonder if he did something wrong. He just couldn't let her walk away with a broken wristwatch after seeing her fruitless labor. Everything about the whole scenario seemed awfully off.

He wasn't oblivious. Elsa Arendelle was known for being one of the smartest pupils in her year and probably the most skilled young witch in all of Hogwarts. He knew Hermione Granger held a grudging respect for Arendelle when it came to academics–she disliked her for various reasons, yes, but she would be first to admit that Elsa was brilliant at wandlore and casting spells.

 _So why wouldn't she just fix her watch with her wand and make things so much easier for herself?_

He wanted to find out the reason behind Elsa's self-imposed predicament, but from the look on her face and for some strange reason that he couldn't explain, he refrained from making his question known. He felt like he was going to cross some forbidden line if he tried.

But something in his mind clicked. He'd seen that watch before or something close to it.

"I know what that is. It's a muggle object. A wristwatch. My aunt owns a lot of those," he blurted out, searching Elsa's face. God, she actually had a lot of freckles. When she just stared at him, he tried once more. "I can help you. I brought some muggle tools with me from back home and I can get that up and running again if you let me."

Elsa looked at him for a moment and bit her lip, dropping her gaze back down to her lap again. "I appreciate the offer but I can do this on my own. Thank you." She cheered just a little bit inside when her voice came out firm and steady. Elsa gave it a few seconds. There was only silence save for the soft chattering from students passing by, and she was almost sure that he had already left. They always did. Whenever she dismissed someone, they left without question…except her sister. But she wouldn't let her mind wander to those debilitating thoughts.

 _Back to being alone again._

When she raised her head, Tadashi was still standing in the same spot. She felt the ice rising up from the pit of her chest.

"Your sister gave you that watch, didn't she?"

Just like that, Elsa felt her universe tilt sideways. Her pulse quickened and her throat became dry, rendering her speechless. "How do you know that?" she managed to spit out after seconds of trying to make her brain work, her eyes meeting his once again. She didn't expect that from him. She didn't know Anna was friends with the boy. Well…what _did_ she know about Anna nowadays?

Tadashi gave a noncommittal shrug. "I repaired hers just a few weeks ago when she broke it during Quidditch practice," he replied, carefully inching forward to Elsa's table. He shoved his hand inside his robe pocket to hide what was left of his wand. "She said she gave her sister a matching one. You're the only Arendelle here besides her so I'm assuming it's you…and the one you have right here looks a lot like hers," he added, pointing at Elsa's lifeless watch.

He found himself so eager to fix it because the look on the _other_ Arendelle's face when he made her watch roar back to life was so rewarding that it made him feel fantastic for days. And he has never really seen Elsa smile. For someone so beautiful, a lingering sadness loomed over the quiet Slytherin girl. The kind of sadness that wasn't easily quenched and remedied.

Tadashi opened his hands in front of him as if he was trying to show her that he wasn't armed or anything. That he wasn't a threat. Why…why did she look so afraid?

Elsa swallowed hard and fidgeted in her seat. "Our father made those watches for us before…before he left," she said in a tone resembling a whisper, grateful that it didn't crack, and she bowed her head slightly like a child being scolded. "He was able to build it without using magic. Wandless. That's why I was trying to revive it without using anything else but my hands the way he did," she said as she flicked her eyes back at Tadashi, her stoic features slightly chipping away. "I guess Anna didn't want to use magic, too," she trailed off while her heart twisted slightly at the mention of her sister's name. This was the first time in months that she has spoken to anyone about Anna.

Tadashi frowned before nodding his head. Now he understood why the watch meant so much to Elsa. He had heard about the late Agdar Arendelle and his untimely demise two years ago. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was responsible for taking his and his wife's lives, leaving Elsa and Anna orphans. With one flick of his wand summoning the Unforgivable Curse, his daughters were left to fend for themselves with wealth that could sustain them for ten more lifetimes.

But that meant nothing to Elsa as she nursed and held her broken wristwatch protectively. That was her treasure. That was probably the last thing her father gave to her before crossing over to another world where she couldn't follow. A world where time stood still and eternal.

"Yes, your sister didn't want to use magic either," Tadashi confirmed quietly, remembering Anna's weird request to 'not use any form of magic' to calibrate her battle-weary wristwatch. The thought of Anna trying to repair her watch or anything at all that required the use of sharp tools nearly made him cringe. He was glad she came to him for help. Tadashi always saw Anna wearing her wristwatch without fail, rain or shine, and he wondered if she tried to approach her sister to see if she would be able to offer her assistance in trying to restore it.

"Have you tried talking to Anna about it?" He regretted the question the moment it rolled off his tongue. How idiotic. Not once has he ever seen Elsa talk to her sister upon her arrival in Hogwarts, and it was only weeks ago when he found out Anna was closely related to Elsa when Bjorgman mentioned it in passing. It didn't take a genius to figure out that two weren't very close. Tadashi thought they were distant relatives. No wonder Anna's face fell when he asked about her family members…she did say Elsa was her sister. She also said they were no longer speaking to each other and she didn't know why.

Elsa stiffened and grabbed the edges of her seat. She could feel the ice slowly filter through her gloves.

"No." _Good job, Hamada._ The undertone of sorrow in her voice made him bite his tongue. He didn't ask anymore. Couldn't ask anymore. Elsa started to gather her things, shoving them hastily inside her bag. "I have to go," she exclaimed curtly, avoiding eye contact. "I appreciate the gesture but I don't need your help."

An air of heaviness blanketed the room and Tadashi's eyes darted to the windows surrounding the room. They were closed. But…why was it so chilly? He turned his head back to Elsa and noticed her hands folded tightly against her chest. Just when he was about to say something, the sound of something cracking tore his and her attention back to the watch.

The wristwatch…its face that was made of glass was split in two, leaving it exposed and shattered.

Elsa's mind went blank. Before she could utter a word or dissolve into a puddle of tears or do anything else that resembled a reaction, Tadashi was already two steps ahead of her and grabbed the watch with a fast hand. He missed the horrified look on Elsa's face as he raised the watch to his eye level, brows knitting, studying its structure. "Okay, so this definitely needs a new face plate," he mumbled, turning the watch to the opposite side. "The inner workings will be a bit tricky because the knobs are almost microscopic, but this has the same structure as your sister's watch. I can definitely do this wandless again. But this doesn't have any dents or signs of being dropped. What exactly happened to it?" When he was finished with his rambling, he finally looked up, slow to register what he had done.

He didn't expect her to look so…shocked. Tadashi grew self-conscious as stunned blue eyes bore into his. Elsa's mouth was parted slightly and a series of expression flashed across her pale face. He invaded her space. Tadashi gulped, his cheeks turning bright red while he attempted to speak. "I…I can help you. Only if you want. I can fix this like I did with Anna's watch," he stammered, completely caught off guard with the way Elsa was staring at him. He took a step back.

He didn't know what was running through her mind and he was afraid to ask. _Please say yes._ The last thing he wanted was for her to run away considering the fact that this was pretty much the first time they ever said a word to each other. He didn't know why he was growing eager to be acquainted Arendelle. It wasn't like he tried years before. Not that he didn't want to…it wasn't easy since Elsa wasn't really that approachable. Or at all.

But after the reveal of her boggart, after all the rumors that spread about her and how "dark" and "calloused" she was, Tadashi found himself thinking about her more and how…how lonely she must have been. She went in and out of classes like a ghost merely passing by. She had a sister whom she didn't speak to and parents who were no longer around. The whole student body strayed away from her and she seemed to not mind it one bit. In fact, she seemed relieved by her lack of company. _But why?_

Elsa watched as Tadashi extended his hand to her, her beloved wristwatch laying limp on his palm. She took in a breath, letting it reach the base of her lungs, and raised her own hand. She could've just grabbed her watch right there and then but didn't. Tadashi was giving her the escape she so desperately wanted. She just had to go for the kill.

But she made the mistake of looking up at him. "Please let me help you. I don't want anything back in return, I just want to help." He could've cringed at how desperate he sounded. It was just a watch and she was just a stranger after all. She was bad news and he was told by many about her uncanny reputation of being the Ice Queen. She was cold and cared for no one but herself, they said. She hated her own sister, they said. And why was he pleading with her to receive help that she didn't even want in the first place?

Tadashi didn't break eye contact, studying Elsa's unreadable face, his pulse quickening underneath his heavy robes that felt awfully thin against the sudden drop in temperature. But he didn't show any hint of distress. He didn't even want to blink in fear that she might start to leave again. His mind wandered back to the haunting question that he should've asked her years ago. Or yesterday. Or now.

 _Elsa, are you okay?_

But his question was stillborn because Elsa was back to default mode. She had to shut him out. "Why are you doing this?" Her tone sounded accusatory and brusque in her own ears, yet Tadashi caught the tremor and the undercurrent of wariness hidden in it. He refused to believe the rumors surrounding her. No one could be that cold and cruel _especially_ Arendelle. If they could only see how much she cared for an inanimate object and the trouble she was putting herself through to preserve the memory of her father, they would surely recalculate their opinions about her. If they could only hear Anna's stories about how sister _used to be_ until that unknown _something_ happened, they would think twice.

But what exactly happened?

Elsa wasn't heartless. There was goodness there somewhere and Tadashi was sure of that. There was beauty and gentleness hidden behind those walls of apathy and detachment. Elsa's features were hardened, but her transparent blue eyes told a different story and Tadashi wanted to unravel those locked chapters.

His heart lurched to his throat. A sane person would've just turned around and walked away. A sane person would've known when to stop especially when all the signs led to a dead end. A _Hufflepuff_ would've minded his own business. But…a Hufflepuff also knew how to reach out and accept those who belonged to other houses. Those who were shunned and ostracized. A Hufflepuff knew compassion.

He could've sworn Helga Hufflepuff herself was smiling at him from a distance. He was doing the right thing…whatever it was.

"I don't know," he replied honestly, dropping the need to justify himself and his actions. He took a step forward. "I don't know why I want to help you. You don't have any reason to trust me and I don't expect you to, but I do want to help." That was it. That was all. He relaxed his shoulders and let out a small smile, his hand still extended, welcoming and willing to fix what was broken. Heal what was broken.

Elsa couldn't remember the last time she accepted help from anyone. It wasn't out of pride or self-righteousness. She simply couldn't. She couldn't let anyone near in fear of hurting them through the erratic manifestation of her wandless magic. Not again. But she didn't have a choice this time. One more stroke of her finger could ruin the watch entirely–the only thing that connected her to Anna. She debated with herself time and again whether to hex her watch and make it unsusceptible to cold.

 _But Papa made this with his own hands…Anna asked Papa to make this for me. For us. Without magic. Am I that much of a failure that I can't even make a lifeless object stay?_

Elsa released the breath that she didn't know she was holding, her hand dropping to her side. Tadashi nodded his head by the barest bit as if prompting for her to reply. To say something. Anything. She didn't deserve his goodness like she didn't deserve her sister's present. But it was now or never. She braced herself and felt her nerves buzz with the anticipation of what she was about to do next.

"Okay. You can…you can fix my watch." Tadashi could've hugged her right there and then. It took a lot of will power to keep himself from doing just that as Elsa took a step back before shyly tucking her hair behind her ear. He gently coiled his fingers around the watch, inserted it inside his pocket, and flashed Elsa a gigantic grin.

"I'll work on it this weekend. You'll have it back in a few days." He wanted to say more but he didn't want to press on any longer. This was hard for Elsa to do and he didn't want to increase her uneasiness or convince her that he was completely out of his mind. She agreed to accept his help and that was all that mattered. He gave her one last smile before turning around to leave.

"Tadashi?" She had to make sure. She couldn't let him walk away without reminding him.

Tadashi stopped dead in his tracks and turned his heel around to face her, his brow raising questioningly. He didn't mean to turn so fast upon hearing his name—so eager and so alert—but it was refreshing to hear Elsa call out to him. Maybe they could be friends. He was getting ahead of himself with these ideations, but he didn't think it would be that impossible either. He didn't want to think it was impossible.

"Yes, Elsa?"

The stampede taking place inside her chest was ringing wildly in her ears. Elsa tapped her knuckles together timidly, the tips of her ears turning red against her will. "Wandless?" she nearly whispered, almost imploring.

A wave of nostalgia swept through Tadashi. _Anna_ said and did the same exact thing when she sought him out for his help, making her one bizarre request known. And now, against all odds, the so-called Ice Queen herself was standing in front of him, filled with caution and worry over a small object that meant the world to her.

Nothing was cold and icy about that. He felt like he had seen fragments of her that everyone else ignored and overlooked.

"Wandless," he replied softly before giving her one last wave, feeling those wide, wistful and darkened blue eyes trailing after him. He didn't notice the thin sheet of ice that carpeted the floorboards underneath his feet as he hurried back to the Hufflepuff common room.


	6. Tick Tock II

Anna was not fond of clocks. In fact, she detested them. The long and short hands indicating, in their painfully slow way, that she had lost another second of her life. It gave her an unsettling feeling. Another second, another minute, hour that she'd never get back. As much as possible, she avoided time and any form of instrument that had anything that measured its passing. It always seemed to be long, relentless, and constantly reminding her of what was then and what was no longer anymore.

So why was she sat in wet mud brooding over a broken wristwatch? Her limp hair dangled over her face, the sludge flicking into her eyes with each gust of freezing cold air rolling in over the stands. Ignoring the chill seeping in, the hair stuck to her lip, the mud rolling down her neck, she stared at the lifeless object in her hand. She should've removed it before Quidditch practice but she was already running late and it wasn't going to break or anything since she would be up in the air and not rolling around in the dirt. She hadn't anticipated Ginny accidentally knocking her off her broom, sending her falling to the ground. Luckily, Hermione was nearby, witnessing the whole scene unfold, throwing a quick spell to lessen impact of Anna's fall before she hit the ground.

A very apologetic and guilty Ginny unceasingly offered her services to help remedy what was damaged, but Anna politely declined her offers, assuring her friend that she was fine and it wasn't that much of a big deal.

Anna had been lucky; but she half wished that she had broken an arm instead of her watch.

Hermione wasn't so understanding.

"You know, screwdrivers can only do so much," Hermione pointed out with a total lack of sympathy, sitting primly opposite the redhead, before pulling out her wand. She had been watching Anna fiddle with her watch to no avail, cringing at how pitiful and sorry her friend looked with her useless tool and obvious lack of dexterity. When Anna didn't answer, Hermione rolled her eyes before sighing like a long-suffering mother.

"Anna, why won't you just cast a spell?" Hermione nearly begged, eager and itching to fix what seemed to be just an ordinary and insignificant object. Anna didn't have to go through this. She knew basic spells and she could, within a flicker of a second, repair her watch. Why was she putting herself through this unnecessary struggle?

 _Not everything can be fixed by magic, Hermione._

Anna's finger twitched against the tool in her hand. Her eyebrows narrowed, and she forced herself to bite her tongue to hold back the retort that was threatening to roll out of her lips. Hermione only meant well, and lashing out on her wouldn't accomplish anything and it certainly would not fix her watch.

So she swallowed her frustration and raised her head to face her friend. "I appreciate your help, Hermione, but magic isn't needed to fix this," she said politely in a voice that Hermione didn't recognize. Hermione's eyebrows shot up to her hairline. She wasn't used to Anna sounding so grave and austere. The older girl mirrored Anna's expression but with less brashness that she was showing before as a nudge of awareness and sensitivity that she was lacking moments ago gnawed at her chest.

Hermione allowed a few seconds to pass before opening her mouth, willing her voice to soften and come out without any hint of sarcasm. "Anna, what's the matter?" she asked, uncrossing her arms from chest so she can lean on the table, her fingers still coiling her wand.

A sad smile lifted the corners of Anna's lips. "I know I look really stupid right now," she mumbled, sliding the back of her arm on her mud-stained cheek when she saw dried up specks of it fall on the table. "But…my father built this watch for me. For me and Elsa. I mean–uhm–she has one just like mine," she clarified.

Hermione held back the wince that was ready to mar her features. She did _not_ like Elsa at all. Apart from the lamentable fact that Elsa scored higher than her in last year's practice O.W.L.s, the older Arendelle, who was the complete opposite of the ever spritely and sunny Anna, treated her sister like she was the lowliest of house elves. Even _Malfoy_ acknowledged Dobby though he regarded the pitiful house elf so poorly. But Elsa? Her very own sister and only living family member left, was invisible and lost to her.

Before her temper could flare, Hermione pushed down her throat the barrage of unpleasant words and complaints she had against Elsa for the sake of her friendship with the redhead. She swallowed hard and fast, her mind working to align her thoughts with Anna's. Having an open mind was quite difficult especially when Elsa Arendelle was involved. She had been trying hard to keep her negative opinions about Elsa to herself especially when Anna was nearby. Nothing good ever came out of Elsa, and she often wondered why Anna kept wasting her time thinking of her estranged sister when the other girl seemed to have forgotten her existence.

 _Tact, Granger. Don't let the topic linger on the Ice Queen._ "When you said 'built', does that mean your father didn't use magic?" The idea sounded ridiculous to her. Surely, Anna wasn't talking about the renowned Agdar Arendelle. The deceased Hogwarts professor was known for his avante-garde contributions to the wizarding world. Professor Arendelle encouraged his students, muggle born and magical alike, to utilize their magic in the safest and most creative way they could. Hermione read every single literature written about him, and each one of them revered Arendelle's fondness of wandlore and spells. There was nothing in it that suggested his distaste for enchantment, so it was hard to believe what was coming out of Anna's mouth.

But Hermione didn't know Professor Arendelle the way Anna did. She didn't know him at all. Books after books could be written about Professor Arendelle for all the years to come, yet they would still pale in comparison to what Anna knew about him apart from all the fame, rumors, and recognition. To the magical world, he was a beloved professor; known and respected by many. But to Anna's eyes, he was simply and forever will be _Papa_.

Anna nodded, fixing her gaze on a befuddled Hermione. "Yes, without magic. Mama thought it was a peculiar thing to do, but I asked Papa to build it without using his wand…it was a quite a challenge," she chuckled ruefully, remembering the look of excitement etched on her father's face when he accepted her request. As darkened green eyes matched Anna's bleak smile, Hermione slowly lowered her wand to her side, understanding finally erasing her skepticism. Aside from guilt, a trickle of nostalgia seeped through her heart and she finally began to see in Anna's perspective.

For a moment, she forgot that she was raised by muggle parents who had no trace of magic in them. What Anna was doing should not have been something eccentric to her. Hermione couldn't believe the degree of her obliviousness, and she felt her insides churn with shame over her actions. She should've known better.

"It was a stupid idea, I know!" Anna exclaimed in her defense, hands flying in the air in an animated way, her cheeks blushing. "I was young and I thought it would be neat to—"

"It wasn't stupid," Hermione cut her off quickly, boring her brown eyes into hers. Something within her shifted as her curt demeanor vanished completely, replaced by sympathy that she failed to display before. With her two bare hands, she gently gathered the broken timepiece from Anna's fingers. Apart from her wand, she was clueless as to how she could help Anna and it annoyed her to a great extent. She wasn't used to being…useless.

Anna watched Hermione like a hawk, her bearings in full alert mode while the other girl studied her most priced possession. Though the glass had been shattered with its inner workings scattered into pieces, she still found her watch to be the most valuable thing she ever owned. Anna would trade her broomstick and her position in the Quidditch team if it meant having her watch back to its former shape again. Surely, Hermione would know what to do. She had the solution for everything.

Hermione frowned. What she had in her hands was Agdar Arendelle's handiwork. _The_ Agdar Arendelle. She begrudgingly and quietly praised Anna's father for his creation, gently tracing her finger on its intricate inner workings. It was still hard to comprehend or even imagine Agdar concocting something without the use of magic. So preposterous and uncharacteristic. But before she could debate with herself again, a chorus of laughter broke through her stupor.

"What's going on?" Anna wondered aloud, turning her head over her shoulder to see what the commotion was about. She half expected Hagrid entering the doors holding up some cuddly creature in his arms for the students to see. But the thoughtful giant was nowhere to be found so she simply shrugged her shoulders and returned her attention back to Hermione.

In between the heads of students blocking her sight, Hermione immediately spotted the source of merriment. Standing up, with his arms flying in the air like a mad man, a tall Hufflepuff boy with a noticeable crown of disheveled jet black hair and shoulders that were too broad for his robes was in the middle of telling a story. He let out a hearty chuckle and the rest of his friends, boys and girls alike, joined him. His audience gave him their full attention, hanging on to his every word as he shared his latest adventure with them.

Hermione's face lit up like Christmas. "I think I know the person who can help you, Arendelle," she smirked, beaming like she had just found one of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's horcruxes. When Anna stared at her quizzically, she simply nodded before standing up from her seat with new found purpose.

Those Hufflepuffs seemed to be a very friendly crowd. But Anna didn't know anyone from that House apart from that grumpy blonde boy in Charms class with a strange fascination with reindeers. She gulped nervously, following Hermione's gaze and finding exactly who it was that she was staring at, the smug expression on her face still in tact.

"You're talking about _that_ boy, aren't you?" Anna whispered, surreptitiously pointing a finger at the Hufflepuff table to said boy's direction. From afar, she could point out the dirt stains adorning his attire. He seemed to have been involved in some sort of explosion and his face was covered with something that resembled grime. He didn't seem to care, and no one in his table seemed to mind either like it was such a normal, everyday occurrence.

Hermione nodded slowly before flashing Anna a brilliant smile. "Yes. That's Tadashi Hamada and he's the one who's going to fix your watch."

Elsa didn't have to do this. The need to express her gratitude in some sort of way nagged her unceasingly for days. Hamada was clear with his words and his intentions: he simply wanted to fix her watch and wanted nothing in return for his services.

So why was she so bothered by this practical arrangement? There were no strings attached and no expectations that were needed to be met. He did what he promised her to do and delivered her watch to her without nothing more but a quick hello and goodbye. The wristwatch was wrapped snugly around her wrist, newly fixed with no hint of magic in it. But it felt heavy like the troubled thoughts currently weighing her down.

She groaned, swallowing hard to push down the lump in her throat. Fiddling with her fingers, she leaned her back against the wall across the Great Hall and brushed away nonexistent dirt from her sleeve.

Elsa was too busy mulling over her thoughts that she didn't notice him approaching her.

"Hi." Tadashi Hamada grinned at her. He could've taken a few more steps forward, but he knew better. The proximity between them was large enough that Tadashi didn't notice the ice threatening to burst forth from her gloves. Instead of the usual hugs that he would give to people whom he considered friends, he awkwardly waved at Elsa before pushing his hands to his pockets.

She almost choked from the hoarfrost ascending from her chest. "Hello," she greeted back, her voice coming out in a crack from hours of disuse. She raised a fist over her mouth as she cleared her throat. "I want to thank you again for fixing my watch that's why I asked you to meet me here." Each syllable muttered sounded so pathetic in her ears, causing her to become wary of Tadashi's reaction. He probably thought she was mental. They've had this conversation before.

Elsa wasn't expecting an opposite result. Instead of an eye roll or an exasperated 'We talked about this already', Tadashi dared to move his feet to lessen their gap. He stretched out his hands in front of him. "You're very welcome. I'm just so happy that your watch is working again," he replied earnestly, his bright smile driving away the shadows of self-doubt lurking in Elsa's addled mind. He seemed like he was just so happy that she was talking to him.

Tadashi tilted his head to the side, curiosity getting the best of him while he looked at her. "Is there anything wrong with the watch? I can adjust it if it's—"

"You're having a hard time in Transfiguration class," Elsa suddenly blurted out without missing a beat, her nerves spiking and thrashing under her skin. She didn't know where that came from, but that was all she could muster to say for some ridiculous reason. Blue eyes widened with fear before darting back and forth behind and around Tadashi for any signs of ice manifestation. There weren't any.

That was…random. Tadashi blinked repeatedly. "Wha—how do you know that?" he asked incredulously, tripping over his words as his ears started to feel warm. His tone was far from accusatory, but Elsa found herself pulling back.

She wanted to run away but she knew frost would trail after her if she did. It took everything in her to will the ice from spewing out of her palms.

 _Breathe, Elsa._

Tadashi wanted to ask again when she didn't reply but stopped short when he saw how flustered she was getting. "Hey, I'm not mad or anything. Everyone knows I'm a horrible student when it comes to that class," he chuckled self-deprecatingly to somehow lighten the situation. Arendelle was barely looking at her, her head bowed like she was studying the structure of the tiles underneath her soles. He just wanted to squeeze her into a hug to lessen her worries.

"Elsa?"

 _Remember what you came here for._

For someone so intelligent, Elsa was never good with eloquently expressing herself in words. "I can…I want to help you do better in that class," she finally said, raising her eyes to meet Tadashi's. "Only if you want," she added quickly.

A moment or two passed by before Tadashi could reply. His ears were surely deceiving him. What…what did he just hear? _Elsa Arendelle_ wanted to help him? With an indecipherable expression, he just stared at her. "What?"

"I can help by—"

 _Practicing spells with me after lessons? Doing homework together? Talking about lesson topics or about anything that you want to talk about?_

"—lending my notes to you."

 _Ah. Too good to be true._

He felt his heart deflate like a balloon. Though he appreciated the effort, Tadashi was hoping for Elsa to somehow lower her walls just enough for him to catch a glimpse of who she truly was apart from her usually guarded persona. It would've been nice to do homework with Elsa Arendelle. He could learn a thing or two, and maybe adapt some of her habits that were helping her succeed as the top student in their year. And maybe, just maybe, he could say something that would make her laugh without holding back.

"Sure, Elsa," Tadashi smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling, gratefulness still winning over disappointment. "I would like that. Thank you."

Elsa felt the weight dissipate from her chest. She knew her offer was meager compared to what he had done for her, but that was the best she could do that didn't involve compromising her secret. A lop-sided, apologetic grin replaced her faint grimace. Her nerves steadied by the barest bit and she felt the blizzard within subside.

"You're welcome," she whispered. An array of emotions that she didn't expect began to drown her like flash flood. Tadashi looked at her like she was his most favorite person in the world, making her want to crawl into a hole and soar into the heavens all at once. He looked at her the way _Anna_ did once upon a time before she destroyed everything. She didn't deserve his kindness. With one last intake of a shaky breath, Elsa gave Tadashi a quick nod before turning on her heels to depart from his presence.

She refused to look back. She knew he was watching her walk away from him.

 _Coward._


	7. Found

**A/N:** Who thinks of Molly Weasley loving and taking care of the Arendelle girls? I do. And it makes me cry.

* * *

It was finally time for Christmas break. An ocean of people, old and young alike flooded the King's Cross Station as the doors from each of the wagons flew wide open, releasing a herd of overly excited students. Laughter and warmth filled the air, creating a cheerful atmosphere that matched the ornaments adorning the already festive surroundings. Mothers and fathers greeted their children with hugs galore, friends and classmates gave each high fives and early presents, and the sounds of bags and luggage being hauled away scratched through the snow-covered pavement. It was a beautiful scene that added to the anticipation of having hot cocoa in winter nights and days of doing nothing but relaxing and spending time with family.

Molly was looking forward to this for months. Gathering her children in her arms, she gave each one of her beloved kisses on their foreheads, her hugs dispelling the bite of winter's air. There was nothing more that she wanted but to have her family back home for the holidays.

"My goodness! How I've missed you!" she exclaimed, relief washing over her as she mentally noted their appearances—that they were still in once piece. "But…where's Ron, Harry, Hermione, _and_ Anna?" It only took a few seconds for Molly to realize that her children didn't get out of the train in a complete set.

Harry, Hermione and Anna were _hers_ , too, and worry started to settle in once she realized their absence. The absence of those four in particular, including Ronald, concerned her the most due to the nature of the life-threatening escapades they would get themselves into in an almost daily basis. Molly considered herself lucky if the kids managed to make it out of the school year, back home to her, without any bruises from doing God knows what.

Fred rolled his eyes. "Aw, mum. George, Ginny, and I aren't good enough for you? We're the only children you need!" he teased, feigning insult before dramatically clutching his chest. Molly shot her son a warning look. "I'm serious, Fred. Where are your other siblings?" she asked, standing on tippy toes in an attempt to scan the crowd for her missing children.

But before she could ask another question, Ginny gently grabbed her by the shoulders. "Mum, they're fine," she smiled reassuringly, rubbing her hands up and down her mother's arms. "They're just a bit delayed because Anna made her rounds giving literally the _entire_ Gryffindor student body presents. Hagrid's dropping them off at our house in an hour." Molly studied her daughter's face to catch any sign of lying but saw none. Dropping her doubts, she shook her head and chuckled before placing a hand on Ginny's cold cheek.

"Oh, our Anna. She's always been so kind and generous." The doting mother smiled fondly at the thought of her _other_ daughter…the youngest of her three girls. Hermione being the eldest, Ginny following after, and then Anna. Molly loved all her children and their friends, taking them in and treating them as her very own. She did not care how small her house was and how short the finances could be sometimes; she made sure that each and every one of them received presents while having a home to stay in during the holidays and whenever they wanted to. The invitation was extended to Anna when the youngest of the brood stepped into Harry, Ron, and Hermione's life, automatically making her a part of the Weasley family.

Though grateful for her ever growing family, Molly had another wayward child that she longed for to come home. Yes, everyone knew of Anna's parents' demise, leaving her an orphan just like Harry Potter. Yes, it was the right and noble thing to do, giving shelter and refuge to someone who was grieving and abandoned. Molly took that all into heart though benevolence and charity weren't her intentions. She loved Anna dearly, and she had seen that haunted look on the young girl's face before: in Harry and the lone figure that was stood by the corner of platform.

Molly's prayers did not just include Anna finding a second home in her family, but for her _sister_ to do just the same. Filtering out the noises surrounding her, she cast her gaze on Elsa Arendelle, her heart aching at the sight of the petite blonde by herself without anyone with her to celebrate her arrival. "Ginny, dear, do you know where Elsa's heading for the holidays?"

Ginny glanced at her mother, following her probing stare. She made a disgusted face like her mum just uttered the stupidest question to have ever existed. "Mum, who cares? She's probably going to head back to Norway and lock herself in her room. That's all she ever does in school anyway," the redhead sneered, not even bothering to try to be subtle and cautious that Elsa might hear her out of earshot.

George squinted his eyes and straightened his fingers over them like a visor, resembling the look of someone searching for something from afar. "I think Miss Arendelle will be spending Christmas by herself again," he concluded pensively, frowning at Elsa's direction. "I do believe Anna extended our invitation to her," he added when he heard his mum sigh. "But of course….she refused."

That wasn't shocking news, even to Molly. But she was hoping to hear something different. Maybe this time, Elsa would be in the company of friends…if she had any at all. George and Ginny exchanged worried looks, prompting Fred to somehow make light of the growing tension between the four of them. Their mum was so stubborn and wouldn't understand Arendelle's masochism and self-imposed isolation. She didn't like people. Period. She didn't even like her own sister, so why won't Molly just let it be?

"Ginny! George! Hamada is over there with Aunt Cass! Let's go see if she brought chicken wings with her—and let's say hello as well!" Fred's overly excited shriek tore through the momentary silence that fell over them, his whole family snapping their heads to where the Hufflepuff boy was stood with his aunt and a shorter boy with scruffy hair. The twins had grown closer with Tadashi and considered him their best friend. Molly _did_ invite the boy over for the holidays, but he politely declined saying he was going away on vacation to snowboard—whatever that may be—with his family somewhere in the muggle world.

Fred pulled Ginny and George's arms toward the Hufflepuff-infested area across from them. "Don't just stand there, let's go! Mum, watch our luggage, will ya?" he asked without waiting for a reply, winking at his mother like he knew something she didn't. George and Ginny shot Molly apologetic looks before being whisked away by Fred. Molly shrugged her shoulders and waved them on, her short, unspoken conversation between her and Fred resonating inside her head. She knew what Fred was trying to tell her. Or at least that's what she wanted to believe. Her son was giving her an opportunity to do what she had been wanting to do since Anna stepped into Hogwarts.

Whoever it was Elsa was waiting for hadn't shown up yet. Molly assumed it was either a butler or a driver since Anna relayed the news that their Uncle Kai and Aunt Gerda went away on a trip upon Elsa's insistence. _So she really is going to spend Christmas by herself or with the company of house-helps that she probably wouldn't even speak with._ Molly pressed her lips into a line upon catching Elsa close in on herself, her arms tightly wrapped around her torso, head bowed and scrutinizing the dirty pavement below.

 _My dear, what are you so wary of?_

Without realizing what she was doing, Molly's feet moved, heading to the emptiest corner of the platform where an equally empty girl was hunched like the weight of the world was upon her shoulders. Molly could've scooped her up right there and then in an embrace. The sight of Elsa made her heart lurch to her throat. It physically hurt to see Elsa so alone and so far. A mixture of anger and sorrow brewed inside of Molly's chest, and she wanted to strangle whoever it was or whatever it was that was causing Elsa to be this…guarded.

It would've been easier to just walk away. She had her own kids and her not-really kids to worry about. Why add another one in the mix when she could barely fit them in her tiny home? No one could fault her if she turned around. No one paid attention to her to guess or care about what was running through her mind in that moment of contemplation. Why bother with the Slytherin girl who never wanted to be around people in the first place? Walking away like she didn't see a thing wasn't so bad.

But Idunn Corona never walked away from her.

Barely making it through her first year, Molly Weasley scraped her way through Hogwarts with what little she had. With her oversized and rugged uniform that was bought from the cheapest bargain store in Diagon Alley, along with books that were used and reused by family members before her, Molly was the center of ridicule amongst classmates. The elitists made fun of her and people who should've been on her side were embarrassed to be around her. Who would want to be associated with someone belonging to a poor family?

A certain Ravenclaw did. Beautiful, intelligent, and gracious in every my way, Idunn gently knocked on Molly's door asking for her friendship. It was quite an odd combination, the two of them together: the daughter of an aristocrat and the daughter of someone belonging to the lower class. Though intimidated and skeptical at first, Molly's doubts gradually diminished as she developed a stronger bond with the blue-eyed girl. Corona belonged to a wealthy family—wealthier than the Malfoys—but never, not once, flaunted her family's prestige. She mingled with students from different houses with different statuses and life journeys. She didn't give Molly food as someone would for charity and pity; she _shared_ her food and even asked Molly to teach her how to cook. She wasn't condescending or judgmental. She knew her privileges but never used them to be ahead of others.

Idunn knew who she was but she chose to be humble and good. She was a queen in her own rights, royal and sophisticated in every way imaginable, yet she had no subjects. She had _friends_. Friends that she would fight and die for.

Whenever students made fun of Molly, the usually soft-spoken and composed Ravenclaw would be the first to defend her, switching from angelic to uncharacteristically ruthless within seconds. Idunn never failed to stand up _for_ Molly and _with_ Molly. She never left Molly's side even when she became Idunn Arendelle and a mother of two. Later on, even though it was difficult for them, Idunn and her husband made the painful choice of hiding and leaving everything they knew behind for the sake of their lives and their children's lives. But Voldemort found them and succeeded in murdering them, leaving Molly with nothing but memories of her best friend and another pair of blue eyes that stared blankly ahead at the train tracks.

Seconds passed by so excruciatingly slow, and it was getting really hard to hold back the tears that threatened to roll down her cheeks. Now was not the time to cry. Now was not the time to think of Agdar's caveats. They died almost two years ago, and Molly and her family no longer needed to be protected from Voldemort due to her association with the Arendelles. It was Idunn's choice to protect Molly by cutting her off in hopes that they would find each other again…but she left and she was never coming back even if she wanted to. The Arendelles lost contact with Molly fifteen years ago—and fifteen years ago, she should've been there for them to save her from this long overdue moment.

Molly wiped away a stubborn tear. "Hello, dear," she said in an almost whisper, careful not to startle the blonde girl facing the opposite direction. Elsa's eyebrows slowly rose up underneath her fringes and up to her hairline. She wasn't expecting anyone to talk to her. She was sure Anna was going to be late that was why she took the earlier train to avoid her.

But it wasn't her sister's voice. Slowly, Elsa turned her body around to face a tear-streaked lady with fiery red hair and an appalling purple scarf. She gulped, her mind blank and searching for words. Ice that had taken hours to taper down started to ascend up her spine. The lady…she looked so much like Ginny. _Why is she crying? Did something happen?_ Before she could stop herself, panic started to constrict her chest, advancing fast to suffocate her while activating her pulse to quicken like bullets being fired aimlessly and unceasingly.

 _Did something happen to Anna?_ Elsa opened her mouth in an attempt to communicate but failed when Molly smiled warmly at her. Molly sensed the girl's growing anxiety and it pained her to see those eyes—Idunn's eyes—filled with so much caution and dread. It hurt Molly all the more to remember Idunn having the same look on her face when she told her of Voldemort's quest to find her family.

Molly wasn't going to let that happen the second time around. She wasn't going to allow Voldemort to harm Anna and Elsa. She _never_ wanted to see fear etched on Idunn's girls' faces ever again. She wasn't going to lose what was left of Idunn and Agdar. She wasn't going to let Elsa live the rest of her school years alone and isolated like she did until Idunn came into her life. Her house was ridiculously small, her family was still poor and struggling, there may not be a lot of food on the table—but she had a lot of love to give and a lot of time to knit an extra sweater just for Elsa.

Still smiling, widely this time, Molly stretched both her hands out to Elsa. Not too wide, not too close—just enough to show Elsa that she could get a hug if she wanted to—if she allowed herself to. That she was someone that Molly longed for to hug.

Molly wanted to say so much without really knowing where and how to start. But with familiarity and an outburst of bittersweet nostalgia overwhelming her, the mother of seven recited the first and last words she had spoken to a newborn baby sleeping in her arms fifteen years ago:

"I've been wanting to meet you for a very long time, Elsa. My name is Molly Weasley…I am your godmother."


End file.
